Thanks! I don't know what the flower is. I just picked it off the avatar pic list. Looked nice so I used it! Liked the hippo story. I love rhodies, hebes and hardy perenials. I just obtained a sort of rare rhodie called Black Widow. It will have almost a black (dark dark red) blooms. I can't wait until spring to see it! I am a plant junkie but also work at a wholesale nursery in town and used to work for a big retail nursery for about a year. Would rather play in the dirt then clean house any day! have a good one all!

I'm still pulling out growth from every one of three places I've tried in the garden before finally banishing it to a bank above a creek outside my fence. I find it as persistant as loosestrife, though very easy to remove. It has to exhaust itself eventually so long as I'm vigilant.

I'm in Zone 9b, not so different than yours. I'll bet you can grow it.

Mark in California

Q: "Do you ever sit down?"
A: "All the time until the urge to 'play' some more becomes too strong."